It was in fact Luca Brasi that did it but certain sections of this scene, and also the following scene where Tom, Vito, and Sonny are meeting in the living room, that indicate this were cut from the final edit of the film. Tom left Woltz's home then returned to New York where he was meeting with Sonny and Vito. At the end of this meeting, Vito asks Tom more info about Woltz, and then finally says "All right - send Luca Brasi to me. I think we're going to find a way to reason with this Mr. Jack Woltz." A cross-fade then occurs to the beginning of the horse head scene outside Woltz's home, as opposed to where this scene is placed in the final film.
In the video game it's Rocco that does it.
In the video game it's Rocco that does it.
Because of an old Italian tradition which was also practiced throughout the Old World. i.e. Europe: parents, no matter how powerful they may be, will not interfere in the married lives of their children.
There's a scene in the novel that explains Connie's parents' position: she goes to them to complain that Carlo is beating her and they coldly tell her to go back and learn how to be a more obedient wife to Carlo. When Connie further objects, the Don says "Not even the King of Italy would interfere in a marriage." So Connie is left powerless without the support of her father.
There's another brief moment during the lunch scene right after the Don returns home from the hospital: Carlo tells Connie to shut up, Sonny tells Carlo not to talk to his sister in such a harsh tone and their mother tells Sonny "Don't interfere."
There's a scene in the novel that explains Connie's parents' position: she goes to them to complain that Carlo is beating her and they coldly tell her to go back and learn how to be a more obedient wife to Carlo. When Connie further objects, the Don says "Not even the King of Italy would interfere in a marriage." So Connie is left powerless without the support of her father.
There's another brief moment during the lunch scene right after the Don returns home from the hospital: Carlo tells Connie to shut up, Sonny tells Carlo not to talk to his sister in such a harsh tone and their mother tells Sonny "Don't interfere."
Michael had achieved the rank of captain, indicated by the silver bars on the shoulders of his uniform.
According to Wikipedia, Michael was awarded the following medals:
Navy Cross
Silver Star (later upgraded to the Navy Cross)
Navy and Marine Corps Medal
Purple Heart
European Campaign Medal
Asia Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
According to Wikipedia, Michael was awarded the following medals:
Navy Cross
Silver Star (later upgraded to the Navy Cross)
Navy and Marine Corps Medal
Purple Heart
European Campaign Medal
Asia Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
The movie begins in 1945, Vito Corleone was born in 1887, making him 58 at the start of the movie. Marlon Brando was 48 when the film was released.
None. There are several characters that are based on or inspired by real people, such as Moe Greene (Bugsy Siegel) and Johnny Fontane (Frank Sinatra). The Godfather himself may have been based on Carlo Gambino, one of the most ruthless, brilliant and long lived bosses in the history of the Mafia in the U.S. There are likely many more such models for other characters in the movie and its sequel.
Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), the aging Don (head) of a New York Mafia family, has three sons: passionate hothead Santino "Sonny" (James Caan), weak and ineffectual Fredo (John Cazale), and youngest Michael (Al Pacino), as well as daughter Connie (Talia Shire), and adopted son (and attorney) Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall). Don Vito has always envisioned a "legitimate" career for his youngest son, Ivy Leaguer and Marine captain Michael. However, when the Don is unceremoniously gunned down in the street by drug dealer Virgil "the Turk" Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) after Vito refuses to back him in his fledgling heroin operation, Michael is drawn into the family business.
The Godfather is based on a novel of the same name (written by Italian-American author Mario Puzo [1920-1999]. The novel was published in 1969. Puzo also wrote the screenplay for the movie. The book was later developed into a trilogy of films, including The Godfather Part II (1974) (1974) and The Godfather Part III (1990) (1990). The Godfather won the 1973 Academy Award for Best Motion Picture.
The story spans about 10 years, between 1945 and 1955.
The obvious reason was that the guy was getting too close to the party (he was standing near the gate to the Corleone compound) taking photos of who came to the wedding and their cars, even license plates. The event was, of course, a private one and the Corleones had hired their own photographers. The photographer was probably working for the FBI, whom Sonny had spit at when the agent flashed his badge moments earlier.
An event like this one would have many of the Corleone's own operatives in attendance (for security purposes) and perhaps even some of Vito Corleone's rivals there as well -- which is the case with Barzini. It's also entirely possible the man was a reporter and doing a story on the wedding. Sonny was angered at the fact that someone would try and violate his family's privacy, especially at his sister's wedding. (The scene also serves to introduce us to Sonny's famous hair trigger temper.) Yet, Sonny, after breaking the guy's camera, throws him some cash out of his own wallet obliviously to compensate him for destroying the camera as well as to prevent the guy from suing him and the Corleones for assault and battery and destruction of personal property (the camera).
Real life mafioso dons, bosses and under-bosses of the era, unlike the modern dons like John Gotti, mostly maintained a very low profile by avoiding talking to the press and kept up a modest lifestyle (at least publicly) to such an extent that even photos of Mafia heads were rare. There were a few exceptions, like the flamboyant Bugsy Siegel who cavorted with movie stars and maintained a glamorous life-style, which caused great consternation among his fellow mob confederates, as it called attention to their illegal dealings. Most Mafia Dons of the era represented in The Godfather (mid-'40s to the late '50s, the time-frame altered slightly from the novel) were unknown to the general public and even the FBI was unsure of which individuals actually ran the rackets and who answered to whom.
Also, the very hierarchical structure of the Mafia was largely unknown until major figures turned federal informants decades later. By observing Mafia figures at weddings and funerals, the only public events the press-shy and camera-shy Dons would regularly attend, hints as to the ranks and strengths of the various families could only be ascertained by observing them in the public sphere. This is why the FBI regularly stalked Mafia members at public events, which were considered "civilian" family events by the families, and off-limits for business and crime dealings, which would have added to Sonny's frustration at their privacy being invaded. This is why Barzini makes sure to personally destroy the negatives of any photos taken of him and his associates, which might have been passed on to law enforcement. The Corleone photographer taking the wedding photos himself might even have been an FBI plant, though it's unlikely since the Don would have him screened extensively to make sure he wasn't.
An event like this one would have many of the Corleone's own operatives in attendance (for security purposes) and perhaps even some of Vito Corleone's rivals there as well -- which is the case with Barzini. It's also entirely possible the man was a reporter and doing a story on the wedding. Sonny was angered at the fact that someone would try and violate his family's privacy, especially at his sister's wedding. (The scene also serves to introduce us to Sonny's famous hair trigger temper.) Yet, Sonny, after breaking the guy's camera, throws him some cash out of his own wallet obliviously to compensate him for destroying the camera as well as to prevent the guy from suing him and the Corleones for assault and battery and destruction of personal property (the camera).
Real life mafioso dons, bosses and under-bosses of the era, unlike the modern dons like John Gotti, mostly maintained a very low profile by avoiding talking to the press and kept up a modest lifestyle (at least publicly) to such an extent that even photos of Mafia heads were rare. There were a few exceptions, like the flamboyant Bugsy Siegel who cavorted with movie stars and maintained a glamorous life-style, which caused great consternation among his fellow mob confederates, as it called attention to their illegal dealings. Most Mafia Dons of the era represented in The Godfather (mid-'40s to the late '50s, the time-frame altered slightly from the novel) were unknown to the general public and even the FBI was unsure of which individuals actually ran the rackets and who answered to whom.
Also, the very hierarchical structure of the Mafia was largely unknown until major figures turned federal informants decades later. By observing Mafia figures at weddings and funerals, the only public events the press-shy and camera-shy Dons would regularly attend, hints as to the ranks and strengths of the various families could only be ascertained by observing them in the public sphere. This is why the FBI regularly stalked Mafia members at public events, which were considered "civilian" family events by the families, and off-limits for business and crime dealings, which would have added to Sonny's frustration at their privacy being invaded. This is why Barzini makes sure to personally destroy the negatives of any photos taken of him and his associates, which might have been passed on to law enforcement. The Corleone photographer taking the wedding photos himself might even have been an FBI plant, though it's unlikely since the Don would have him screened extensively to make sure he wasn't.
For the rehearsals, the horse's head was fake. When they shot the scene, however, the head was indeed a real horse's head Coppola got at a dog food factory. Actor John Marley's reaction was also real, as he had no clue there would be a real horse's head in his bed.
In the canon of The Godfather, there are five organizations, or "Families," in the New York area— (Vito) Corleone, (Emilio) Barzini, (Philip) Tattaglia, (Anthony) Stracci, and (Carmine) Cuneo. While the Tattaglia and Barzini Families weigh pretty heavily into the plot, due to the tensions between their organizations and the Corleones, there is little mention of the Cuneo and Stracci families, who are mentioned only as part of the Commission "sit down" with all of the major mafia bosses from around the country. The idea of the "Five Families" is based on real-life Cosa Nostra structure. Believe it or not, there are rules and an expected code of conduct within the mafia, and there are certain actions that require the approval of a family Boss. The "Commission" acts as a kind of mafia board of directors or mini U.N. to ensure that all of the families stay in line and avoid actions that might be dangerous to organized crime as a whole.
It is mentioned in the novel that Anthony Stracci's crime organization operates mostly in Northern New Jersey & on Staten Island. Carmine Cuneo operates mostly in the Bronx. However, every family don of the five has ambitions to take over as much of the others' territory as they can, Barzini & Tattaglia being the two most ambitious and ruthless.
It is mentioned in the novel that Anthony Stracci's crime organization operates mostly in Northern New Jersey & on Staten Island. Carmine Cuneo operates mostly in the Bronx. However, every family don of the five has ambitions to take over as much of the others' territory as they can, Barzini & Tattaglia being the two most ambitious and ruthless.
During a gang war, the soldiers stay in "safe houses" set up by the Family, instead of in their own houses—in order both to keep dependents out of the line of fire and to ensure secure communications. These safe houses are apartments, the majority of whose rooms are filled with mattresses for soldiers to sleep on. Thus, to "go to the mattresses" is to begin a war with the other Families. Another explanation comes from the novel: during a gang war, both sides would make use of vacated apartments owned by the crime family in question at key strategic points in the city. The apartments would be used to house soldiers that could be deployed to conduct "battles" between the families at a moment's notice. Because the war could go on for months or years, the apartments would be outfitted with mattresses for the men to sleep on. There would probably also be a phone in the apartment so they could be contacted quickly to move to an area to conduct family business. Clemenza, Rocco Lampone, and Paulie travel to New York to inspect some of the apartments and to begin the process of buying the actual mattresses to stock them with. At one point you hear Clemenza talking about how the mattresses need to be clean and disinfected. Paulie tells him that his contact for obtaining them has assured him they've been "exterminated" or checked thoroughly for vermin like bedbugs. Clemenza makes a joke of it. However, the whole task was partially a ruse designed to throw Paulie off so they could take him to a remote location and kill him. Clemenza was probably scouting locations for their men to stay in but it was still a convenient way to eliminate Paulie, who believed that he was being given an important task to complete for the impending war.
Clemenza mentions the 1938 Munich Agreement when he talks to Michael about the impending war that will occur right after Michael assassinates Sollozzo and McCluskey. In September 1938, Hitler had sought to annex the Sudetenland, a region of Czechoslovakia populated mainly by ethnic Germans, to Germany. An international crisis ensued and a major conference was held in the German city of Munich to resolve the issue. At this conference, the western powers, led by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, agreed to allow Hitler to annex the Sudetenland in exchange for his promise to leave the rest of Czechoslovakia alone. Hungary and Poland invaded Czechoslovakia in October 1938. Chamberlain felt that Hitler's territorial ambitions could be contained with minor concessions and, after Munich, declared that they had achieved "peace in our time". However, Hitler in March 1939 violated his promise and occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia, while Hungary and Poland received more Czech territory. After the outbreak of war in 1939, Chamberlain was widely criticized for failing to stand up to Hitler at Munich. The conference, and the concept of appeasement, came to be derided as examples of political cowardice in the face of an aggressive upstart foe. So Clemenza is comparing the Corleone's position to that of Britain in 1938. They face an aggressive upstart with Sollozzo. In Clemenza's opinion it is better to deal with Sollozzo now, rather than try to appease him and have to deal with him in the future when he's much more powerful.
Here is a translation of what they say in Italian:
Sollozzo: I'm sorry.
Michael: Leave it alone. ( or ) Forget about it.
Sollozzo: What happened to your father was business. I have much respect for your father. But your father, his thinking is old-fashioned. You must understand that I am a man of honor.
Michael: I understand those things. I know them.
Sollozzo: You do? You must understand that I helped the Tattaglia family and once I make a deal, I seek nothing but peace. Leave aside all this nonsense.
Michael: How do you say? [Then Michael returns to speaking English.]
[After Michael returns from the bathroom]
Sollozzo: Everything all right? I respect myself, understand, and cannot allow another man to hold me back. What happened was unavoidable. I had the unspoken support of the other Family dons. If your father were in better health, without his eldest son running things, no disrespect intended, we wouldn't have this nonsense. We will stop fighting until your father is well and can resume bargaining. No vengeance will be taken. We will have peace, but your Family should interfere no longer.
Sollozzo: I'm sorry.
Michael: Leave it alone. ( or ) Forget about it.
Sollozzo: What happened to your father was business. I have much respect for your father. But your father, his thinking is old-fashioned. You must understand that I am a man of honor.
Michael: I understand those things. I know them.
Sollozzo: You do? You must understand that I helped the Tattaglia family and once I make a deal, I seek nothing but peace. Leave aside all this nonsense.
Michael: How do you say? [Then Michael returns to speaking English.]
[After Michael returns from the bathroom]
Sollozzo: Everything all right? I respect myself, understand, and cannot allow another man to hold me back. What happened was unavoidable. I had the unspoken support of the other Family dons. If your father were in better health, without his eldest son running things, no disrespect intended, we wouldn't have this nonsense. We will stop fighting until your father is well and can resume bargaining. No vengeance will be taken. We will have peace, but your Family should interfere no longer.
"This Loneliness" by Carmine Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola's father. Mr. Coppola is playing the song live in the scene. The song is not on the soundtrack album but was on the LP "The Godfather Wedding Album" which is out of print and not available on CD. It also is not the same as the one on the Godfather Wedding Album LP. The version in the film is piano only, whereas the version on the album lasts a little longer and has other instruments.
Indeed there was. It was an somewhat obscure cover by Mike Patton's band "Fantomas". The song "The Godfather" can be found on the The Director's Cut album.
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